Guilty of always being safe? Your brain is to blame for risk-averse decisions

Are you always beating yourself up for taking the straight and easy path? If you’ve been blaming yourself for staying away from risks and sticking to your comfort zone, this might surprise you. It’s not about choice or laziness, but about the wiring of your brain. A study published in the Journal of Cognitive Psychology revealed that there is an underlying psychological logic to choosing a simple solution to a complex problem.

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preference for simplicity

For any complex, serious problem there is a mental tendency to gravitate towards simplicity, something that is easy and will get the job done quickly without too much effort. Researchers at the University of Waterloo showed how the brain prefers straightforward, easy solutions and shortcuts to any problem.

The study examined 2,820 participants in seven experiments. They were given problems whose solutions were both simple and complex. Again and again, all participants chose the simpler, easier options. This reflects this innate preference for simplicity. The researchers emphasized that this tendency is not laziness, but actually the brain trying to work with maximum efficiency without overcomplicating matters and choosing simplicity as the way forward.

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simplicity for efficiency

The researchers also emphasized how simple solutions are reliable, trustworthy, and common. Whereas, complex solutions are risky and unpredictable, which doubles the brain’s work effort and can also impact actual efficiency. The human brain is naturally attracted towards efficiency, which is why it is attracted to simple and easy solutions.

Co-author Ori Friedman said, “Our research shows that people care a lot about efficiency – the idea of ​​doing more with less – and this focus on efficiency affects how people think about both explanations and achievements. How I think.”

The research also sheds light on the human brain’s ability to achieve efficiency by streamlining effort. As they say, work smarter, not harder.